MISSING WHITE WOMAN

This compelling psychological thriller adroitly weaves together a murder mystery with salient truths about being Black and in the crosshairs of law enforcement. Breanna's romantic vacation in New York City with her boyfriend, Ty, becomes a nightmare when a stranger winds up dead inside their swanky vacation rental and Ty goes missing. Ariel Blake skillfully conveys Breanna's efforts to learn what happened as news of the crime goes viral. There are a handful of odd and distracting sound effects employed throughout the production--an echo chamber mimicking vocal distortion that represents Breanna's overwhelmed mental state, for example. Blake amplifies Breanna's anxiety by drastically slowing down her narration in certain passages, which unnecessarily puts the brakes on the audiobook's engaging storyline. J.T. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]